A prevailing view of philosophy is that it is just, "innocent but useless trifling, hair splitting distinctions, and controversies on matter concerning which knowledge is impossible." One of the assertions of this viewpoint is that the study of physical sciences is more useful due to the direct product of invention that results (Russell). The idea here is that the source and intent of scientific research and discovery is to produce physical things that allow us better lives (Schiller 209). Philosophy is specifically focused on questions of existence, spirituality and morality, things that do not produce physical invention. Therefore, if the only use of science is producing invention and Philosophy doesnt produce invention then philosophy is useless. .
It is certainly true that philosophy does not produce physical inventions. According to F. C. S. Schiller, Philosophers hold the viewpoint that it is a, "sacrilege and profanation to demand practical results from their meditations." He even goes so far as to say that, "only an utterly vulgar and ill-educated mind," is concerned with the practical results of theory (Schiller 200). Even Philosophers agree that there is no physical result from the study. However, that does not diminish the fact that Philosophy does help improve our lives. Philosophy is the study of the interpretations that we make of the world around us; interpretations of concepts such as the way the world works, the meaning of our existence and morality. There is no realistic invention that can come from these concepts. After all, we can't build a robot to tell us morality, or a machine to tell us what we should believe and certainly no invention will tell us the meaning of our existence. From the viewpoint of those looking only at practical results, Philosophy does fall quite short. Despite the lack of invention, Philosophy does help us by critically examining our interpretations in order to improve our world view, give birth to new sciences, help get jobs of any field, and help get into graduate school.
